Blood Work back.....Low free test...Advice needed

[jj341]

I'm 62 years old, 5"11", 175 lbs, 13 or 14% body fat and I lift wts and do cardio regularly. I had a complete blood test in August and everything was fine except that I had very low free test. I changed my diet and ate more beef as I very rarely ate red meat. I also added a few supplements that were supposed to increase T levels.
I just got the results of my most recent blood work which I had done to address the low test issue.
These are the results: Note....The free and total test is about the same as the August results.
DHEA-Sulfate 308...............Reference range 80-560
Estradiol 16.8.....................Reference range 0.0-39.8
Testosterone 472...............Reference range 241-827
Free Testosterone 9.41.......Refgerence range 8.69-54.69

From reading this board I know that free test is important for many reasons. I'd like any suggestions on getting my free test up without going on HRT? Does anyone have any insight on why it would be so low. I lead a healthy lifestyle, I eat right and I don't drink more than an occasional beer. Thanks.

 

[Labtec70]

Hi jj

Did your physician include Leutinising Hormone (LH) and/or Fillicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) in with the tests? You could do with knowing these numbers because you are quite clearly 'what I'd call' testosterone deficient.
It's hard to say from these results if your condition is Primary Hypogonadism, meaning your nut-sack is shot; or you're Secondary Hypogonadism, meaning your pituitary gland is malfunctioning in some way.

If we could see your LH/FSH numbers and they were in the high normal to high range, this may mean that your brain is sending messages to your testicles, in the form of LH and FSH to produce more testosterone, but your testes aren't listening.
This would indicate Primary Hypogonadism. However, should the LH and/or FSH come back low, this could mean that the pituitary gland, which secretes these hormones, is not functioning correctly as it isn't sending signals to your testes to release the testosterone it has at its disposal. In the latter instance it would also be backed up by a Total Testosterone count falling within normal ranges. On the contrary though, it seems like your Total T. level falls in the low normal range too. Either way, you are what the 2010 Guidelines for Androgen Therapy would class as a consideration for treatment.
In the guidelines, anything under 12 on the standard scale for bioavailable T (free T) is justification for further investigation and/or androgen therapy if necessary and applicable.

Do you suffer from low testosterone symptoms?
If you do then this could have an impact on your health over the coming years: increased risk of bone fracture and osteoporosis; high cholesterol, particularly LDL and VLDL, which can have an adverse effect on heart health; decreased muscle mass and increased fat mass; low libido and depression, irritableness.
The list goes on and on. I'm not saying you DO require treatment, but I am saying the figures could do with some clarification, or what is the point?
If you aren't suffering from low test. symptoms then you may well just have a naturally low test. level. Some guys do and get by fine at that level and are unnafected. Whatever...if you are concerned and I gather you must be to be posting your figures up, then please I urge you to revisit your GP
and get additional tests done. If it's secondary hypogonadism it may require nothing more than a shift in dietary habits or some hormone therapy not requiring TRT.

Regarding natural boosting stuff...have you tried Tribulus at all? Some guys think its excellent while others at least reckon it increases their libido

All the best.

 

[XMAN.]

agree with Labtec in all what he said, i wanna just add u may try an AI like Adex , Aromasin or letro to raise ur free T but take good care and start low and watch ur estro levels don't let them get too low they're crucial for ur general health too.

 

[Labtec70]

Yes. Good point xman.!

 

[Zyglamail]

agree with Labtec in all what he said, i wanna just add u may try an AI like Adex , Aromasin or letro to raise ur free T but take good care and start low and watch ur estro levels don't let them get too low they're crucial for ur general health too.

AI's dont really have any bearing on free testosterone. They reduce the creation of estrogen by affecting the aromatse enzyme which converts T to E.

SHBG binds to test and there for ties it up lowering free test. Some things that can lower SHBG and in turn raise free test.

vitamin D (take 35,000 IU 2x a week, say monday and fiday)
stinging nettle
Magnesium and zinc, most people are actually quit deficient in both.